


Five Years Waiting

by Reikukaja



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Canon Universe, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied Sexual Content, Manga Spoilers, gallipieck, pikupokko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 22:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12691461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reikukaja/pseuds/Reikukaja
Summary: For Porco's Birthday =][Manga Spoilers!!!]Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, and Marcel were sent to Paradis five years ago. Over the course of those five years, Pieck managed to become a friend to Porco and even helped him learn to control his temper. Despite Porco's initial impressions of the girl, the bond between them has grown into something that he can't imagine living without.





	Five Years Waiting

Porco Galliard was a morning person. He liked to wake up before the sun could rise. With daylight came responsibilities, so these were the hours he got to do as he chose. He sat up in bed, reading by the dim light on his bedside table. The world was silent around him, aside from Pieck's breathing. 

Pieck had stayed over the previous night, and she continued sleeping next to him. She slept like the dead. He had already gotten up and dressed, but she hadn't stirred. Pieck was not a morning person. She was always tired, regardless of the time of day. Porco wondered what she dreamt about. She would often mumble and whimper in her sleep, but he was never able to make any sense of it. When asked after waking, she could never remember. For now, he was grateful that she slept peacefully.  Porco would let her sleep all day if he could, but that was a luxury they never had. 

 

As the sun began to rise, there was a knock at Porco's door. He sighed as Pieck groaned beside him, knowing his peaceful morning was about to come to an end.  

"Come in," he said with a raised voice, and marked his place in the book he was reading before closing it. 

It was an officer. Porco couldn't remember his name. He was  _terrible_ with names, not that it mattered. Half of the officers here simply referred to him as "Eldian" so he didn't feel like he owed them anything.  

"Ah, Miss Pieck! Good morning!" The officer smiled at her, as she yawned sleepily beside Porco.   

 "We looked for you in your chambers, but thought we might find you here. Magath has summoned you and Jaeger to his office."  

" _Of course_ he has," she gumbled, while still managing to smile. "I've just started walking on my own two legs, so it only makes sense I'd have to forget how again." She yawned again at the end of her sentence, drawing it out.  She had only just been able to stop using her crutches a couple days ago. Porco wished she could have more time, before being called upon again. 

"Me too?" Porco asked the officer, standing up from his bed. 

"No, Galliard. Warriors only."  

Porco couldn't help but notice the change in tone of voice when the officer spoke to him, as compared to the way he spoke to Pieck. He tried not to let it get to him, but it did. 

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Pieck said. "Thank you, officer." 

"My pleasure, Miss!" The officer tilted his head at her before he stepped back outside of the room and closed the door behind him. 

"It's okay Pokko," Pieck must have sensed his irritation. She used his arm for support as she rose from the bed. "I'll come find you afterwards." She gave him the small, playful smile she reserved just for him, and he let his frustration dissipate for the moment.  

Pieck had become very good at keeping Porco's temper under control. That had always been Marcel's job, before. He tried to think back to when Pieck had taken it upon herself to keep him in line.  

 

* * *

 

In the year after Marcel left, Porco developed a bad habit of getting himself into trouble with Magath. He couldn't remember specifically what he had done to offend his commander on the day Pieck offered him her friendship, but he had just finished running laps.

Porco collapsed as he turned the corner and finished his two hundredth lap around the training facility. The sun was gone. He had been running for so many hours. Whatever he had done, _it wasn't worth it._  His legs burned, and he laughed to himself as he imagined trying to crawl back to the barracks. It wouldn't have been the first time. 

 _"Hi Pokko."_  

He hadn't heard Pieck approach him. "Pieck, you know that's not my name," he panted angrily. 

"I like this better," she hummed for a moment. "Why are you always getting yourself into so much trouble with Magath?" She had an airy way of speaking that he found incredibly annoying, like she took absolutely nothing seriously. 

 _What a stupid question._  

"Why do you care, Pieck?" 

"You're making life way too hard for yourself." Pieck plopped down on the ground beside him. She leaned back on her arms and looked at Porco as he lay breathless on the ground. She was so  _strange_.  

"Maybe I like running laps." That was a lie.  

"No one likes running laps," she echoed his thoughts, and narrowed her eyes at him.  

Porco had never really talked to Pieck before. She was a year older, and she had kept to herself during their Warrior candidate days. Since she inherited the Cart Titan three years ago, she had been paired with Zeke for most missions. Lately she hadn't crossed paths with Porco often. 

"You really need to learn to control your temper, Pokko," she said after a moment. "You can't react violently to everything that bothers you." 

"Don't tell me what to do," he snapped back. 

"Fine," she said. His words didn't seem to upset or offend her at all. "Let's go back to the barracks. There might still be some dinner left for you." 

Rather than answer her, he tried to stand up – and failed miserably as he collapsed back into the dirt. "I'll just stay here," he groaned.  

"No," she said, standing up herself. "Come on." She reached out a hand to help him up.  

He didn't want her help. He didn't want her friendship. She never cared, though. She did what she wanted, and for some reason she wanted to help him that day. He hesitantly took her hand, and that marked the beginning of a friendship he would come to treasure more than anything else.  

 

* * *

 

After Pieck departed to meet Magath in his office, Porco picked up his book and reopened it to the page he had marked when the officer had come in earlier. He leaned back in his bed and stared at the page for a few minutes before closing the book. He wasn't in the mood to read anymore. 

Porco wanted to feel useful. Supposedly, being the senior Warrior candidate was some sort of honor. He was first in line for whatever titan became available next. Zeke had five years left, so he assumed he would have five more years of frustrated uselessness to look forward to. He dreaded it. This was not what he had signed up for.  

He wondered what kind of mission Pieck was going to be sent on next.  

Eventually, Porco got tired of waiting and decided to get some food. He would find Pieck later. 

 

* * *

 

About a year into their friendship, Porco and Pieck were sitting on his bed together making jokes about Magath. Porco sat up with his back to the wall, and Pieck was lying on her back beside him. Her crutches rested against the wall at the foot of his bed. It hadn't been a good couple of days for her. It was the first time she had come out of her titan and been incapable of walking on her own. She had never before needed to stay in titan form for so long, and it had taken a toll on her body. She had been very frustrated with her inability to walk normally, but Porco did his best to try to cheer her up. Making fun of Magath always made her laugh. 

"Do you think Magath is married?" Porco asked. Their commander had been especially harsh on them that day. Pieck usually kept Porco out of trouble, but sometimes he dragged her down with him out of Magath's good graces. Pieck's condition didn't render her immune to punishment, either. There were plenty of mind-numbing tasks that didn't require the ability to walk. The two of them had spent the majority of that day on their hands and knees, wiping the cafeteria floor until it was spotless. 

"Magath will never get married," Pieck giggled. "I can't imagine anyone  _ever_ wanting to kiss him." She stuck out her tongue to show how disgusted she was by the thought. 

"That's a little harsh Pieck!" Porco laughed along with her. "...but probably true." They both descended into a fit of mad laughter, wiping tears from their eyes. 

In the year since he and Pieck had become friends, Porco had gotten much better at keeping his temper under control. He still got into trouble with Magath on a semi-regular basis, but it was nothing like that first year. Magath seemed to notice the improvement, and he gave Pieck and Porco joint assignments as often as possible. It was a small price to pay to have his senior Warrior candidate be just a little bit less insufferable. Pieck was a positive influence on him.  

As their laughter died down, Pieck gave Porco a peculiar look. "I want you to kiss me, Pokko."  

"What?!" Porco's eyes went wide with shock. He was sure he had misheard.  

"You want me to what?!" He repeated the question when she didn't answer. 

"Sorry... I know that was random," she sighed.  

"What would make you say something like that?"  

Her face took on a sad expression. "I don't think anyone will ever want to kiss the Cart titan," she was expressionless as she stared at the ceiling.  

Porco couldn't help but laugh. "So, you want someone to kiss you in titan form? It might be hard to find someone willing to do that."  

Pieck didn't seem to appreciate his joke, and grimaced. 

"What's wrong?" He immediately felt bad for laughing at her.  

"Look at me, Pokko." Pieck gestured downward toward the rest of her body. "I can't even walk on my own two legs anymore. I'm always tired, and somehow I am incapable of getting a satisfying amount of sleep." She looked depressed at the thought. "I'm not really pretty, either." 

That wasn't true. Porco thought Pieck was beautiful. 

"I'm sorry Pieck, I didn't know you were being serious." He scratched his head, and blushed. "I uhh…. I think you're pretty."  

"You don't need to lie to make me feel better, Pokko... I just wish I -" Pieck didn't get to finish her sentence. 

Without thinking, Porco leaned over her and closed his eyes as he kissed her on the lips. A girl like Pieck shouldn't have to doubt that she is pretty... She was his best friend, and hanging out with her was his favorite part of every day. He saw no reason  _not_ to kiss her. 

It wasn't a good kiss. It was short... over in seconds. When Porco opened his eyes, Pieck was smiling smugly at him.  

"Thanks, Pokko. We will need to practice that a bit more, won't we?" 

He could feel a deep blush completely cover his face. She loved making him uncomfortable. They did eventually get better at kissing, though. 

 

* * *

 

Porco returned to his room around noon, and was happy to find that Pieck was already there, waiting for him. She was lying flat on his bed, and for a moment he thought she might be sleeping. As he approached her, she opened her eyes.  

"There you are, Pokko," she smiled up at him.  

"Here I am," he grinned back down at her, before taking a seat next to her. She scooted over, and rested her head in his lap.  

"I hope you weren't waiting long," he apologized, gazing down at her. 

"No, not that long," she sighed.  "Your bed is more comfortable than mine anyway." He was fairly certain that all of the beds in this facility were the exact same, but he didn't correct her. 

"Got a new mission?" he asked, absently playing with the strands of her hair that stretched out over his legs.  

"Yes," she said simply. "I'll be leaving in a week."  

"For how long?" Porco hated when Pieck was gone. The days dragged when he didn't have her around to keep him company.  

"It depends on how long the mission takes," she paused. "At least a month."  

 _A month. At least._ Porco tried to hide his disappointment. "Where are they sending you this time?" 

Pieck hesitated before answering, and closed her eyes. "We're going to retrieve the other Warriors," she said softly. 

Porco was speechless. He immediately thought of how wonderful it would be to see his brother again. They had heard nothing in five years from the four Warriors that had gone to that island. He had thought about Marcel every single day since he left.  

Porco wondered if his big brother would still be taller than him. He had gone through a growth spurt in the previous year and now towered over Pieck. The thought of being taller than Marcel filled him with a strange sense of satisfaction. What would Marcel look like now? 

Pieck was staring up at him. She must have known what this news would mean to Porco. She reached her hand up to hold one of his. "I hope I can bring your brother home for you." 

"As long as you make it back safe, too." Porco brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. He loved this strange girl more than he ever thought he could. He wished he had more time with her. 

 _Six more years._ _That is all I get._  

 

* * *

 

It was the dead of winter when Pieck and Porco first became lovers, four years after Marcel left for Paradis. Pieck entered Porco's room without knocking, like she always did. She crawled into his bed in the middle of the night, claiming her room was too cold to sleep in. They huddled under a pile of blankets together, trying to keep warm. That was the first time Pieck spent the night in Porco's bed.  

"Pokko?" she cooed, sufficiently content in their warm, impenetrable fortress of blankets.  

Pieck's head rested on Porco's chest, and he stroked her raven-black hair. "Yeah?" 

"Please don't be mad at me for saying this," she let out a sigh before continuing. "I hope you  _don't_ become a Warrior."  

"What makes you say that?" He asked gently. He couldn't be mad at her, not then. 

She lifted her head to look at him. "I want you to live long enough to become an old man," she giggled quietly. "You were  _born_ to be a crabby old man like Magath."  

"Oh god... don't say that," he laughed with her and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not that bad." 

Pieck's giggles slowly subsided and she took on a more serious expression.  "I have fewer than seven years left, Pokko."  Her voice began to quiver at the end of her sentence, and it looked like she might begin to cry. 

 _"I know,_ " the humor had left his voice entirely.  This was something he had spent a lot of time thinking about. He knew that someday far-too-soon, Pieck would be gone...and he would likely be alive to suffer through it. It hadn't stopped him from loving her. He wasn't sure there was anything that could have done that. 

"Does it scare you?" he asked in a whisper. 

"Yes and no," she breathed. "I knew my fate six years ago, I've had time to get used to it." She inhaled sharply, and squeezed him slightly in her arms. "I worry about the things I will miss though... after I am gone." 

"I'm sorry, Pieck," he started. "I should have gotten the Armor. Then we would be going through this together. I should be going through this with you."  

Her face seemed to perk up at his words. She gave him one of her goofy smiles then. "Oh, Pokko. If you had gotten the Armor, you would have gone off to that island and you and I wouldn't have gotten to be such good friends," She smirked as she had another thought. "Maybe I'd have fallen for Reiner in your place." 

He covered his face with his hands and forced himself to laugh. "That's an excellent point," he agreed. "He can keep his Armor. I like what I got far better." The two of them laughed together, and Porco planted kisses across her face and nose, as if to emphasize his point. 

"I wish things could be different, Pokko," Pieck said sleepily.  

"Me too, Pieck," he whispered, "Me too." 

 

* * *

 

Porco waited on the docks beside Magath as a ship approached from the distance. He had done this so many times for Marcel - every month like clockwork, for most of  _five years_. Eventually, he stopped getting his hopes up. This time was different. Pieck and Zeke had sailed off last month, with the intention of bringing home the other warriors who had gone missing. For the first time in years, Porco had hope that his brother was going to be on this ship that was about to dock. 

"You must be nervous," Magath spoke as the two of them waited. 

"More excited than nervous, sir." It was true. Porco had been anxiously awaiting this day since Pieck left. 

"Good to see you with a positive attitude for once, Galliard."  

Porco's excitement only inflated as the ship drew nearer, and a black-haired girl could be seen aboard it, standing at the rail. Pieck was home. Who else was with her? He saw no other familiar faces on the ship's deck. Perhaps they were down below.  

"Stay here, Galliard." Magath stepped forward as the ship began to dock. Soon he would be greeting Pieck and everyone else coming off the ship.  

All of Porco's attention was on Pieck as she stepped off the ship and onto the dock. She had an unreadable expression as she approached Magath. The two of them exchanged some words, and then they both looked at Porco. A chill ran down his spine, and he began to worry about what had happened on that island. Was Zeke okay? What happened to the other Warriors? Why was Pieck alone? 

She wasn't alone. An unfamiliar girl was escorted off the ship after Pieck.  The girl carried herself like someone who had completely resigned to their fate. Porco had never seen her before. Who was she? 

After a few more words with Magath, Pieck quickly walked straight to Porco. He smiled at her as she approached, despite the anxiety building in him. When she reached him, he wrapped his arms around her. She froze up in his grasp, and he knew something was very wrong. 

"Pieck?" he asked, worried. 

"I'm so sorry,  _Porco_." She looked up at him, and there was no hint of a smile on her face. 

Had she  _ever_ called him by his name? Porco was only beginning to comprehend the meaning of Pieck's words when Magath approached them where they stood, and put a hand on Porco's shoulder. 

"I hope you are ready to get that new armband you've been so eager for, Galliard." 

Porco only stared back, dumbly. Coldness washed over him as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

He had waited five years for this day, but he hadn't been prepared for this. 

Marcel was never coming home.  

 


End file.
